Death by the River

Awards

  

THE RED LIST

RANKINGS
#8 for Thriller Book/Manuscripts of the month
#8 for Thriller Book/Manuscripts of the year
  • 2019 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, Gold Medal Winner: Young Adult Fiction—Horror / Mystery
  • 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition, Finalist
  • 2019 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award, Finalist: Young Adult Fiction
  • 2019 New York City Big Book Award, Distinguished Favorite (Silver): New Adult
  • 2019 Clue Book Awards, Semifinalist: Suspense and Thriller Fiction
  • 2018 Best Book Awards, Finalist: Fiction—Young Adult
  • 2019 International Book Awards, Gold Medal Winner: Young Adult Fiction
  • 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards, Bronze Medal Winner: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror
  • 2019 Readers' Favorite Awards, Gold Medal Winner: Fiction — Social Issues
  • 2019 Kindle Book Awards, Finalist: Mystery / Thriller Top 5
  • 2019 Somerset Book Awards, Semifinalist: Contemporary and Literary Fiction

News

Praise

“A psychological portrait akin to Lord of the Flies.” ~Midwest Book Review

“You could practically taste the fear.” ~Laura Hernandez, YA Book Divas
“A deliciously dark and timely YA crime thriller deserving of a TV series. While tackling heavy-duty subject matter with grace and sophistication, Death by the River is tailor-made for fans of Riverdale, Twin Peaks and Twilight.” ~BestThrillers
“I could smell the air and see the colors around the town and the Bogue Falaya River, and as fast as I could feel the beauty and light, I could feel the SCARY and DARK.” ~Amy, My Books-My World
"Catching the current vogue of teen psycho and revenge tales like Bates Motel and 13 Reasons Why, a horrifically brilliant book.” ~Readers’ Favorite
"A chilling horror tale, not for the squeamish ... darkly, painfully engaging." ~IndieReader
"Weis and Astor just completely dominated the YA Thriller genre." ~NetGalley Professional Reviewer
“Nothing can prepare you for what you will find within these pages.” ~Goodreads
“Told from different points of view, I knew when it was the loving boyfriend, the realist, the victim, and the monster. The angst of fitting in, of playing a role with the weight of popularity, whilst adding darkness, ghost stories, and murders … an intoxicating read.” ~Zoé-lee O'farrell, Zooloosbookdiary.co.uk
“The type of cautionary tale that keeps you alive by reminding you that sometimes the biggest horrors aren’t the monsters hiding under the bed but the ones hiding in plain sight.” ~The Nerd Daily
"... the drama of Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars mixed with American Psycho." ~The Book Curmudgeon
“Dark secrets and disturbed minds. A brilliant mystery thriller.” ~Isabel Rivera
“... a crime thriller that pulls readers into the twisted mind of the protagonist and holds them engaged till the exhilarating finish. The writing is flawless ... Death by the River is psychologically engaging, emotionally rich, and utterly absorbing.”~ Christian Sia
"... an evocative setting, powerfully defined characters, and a long hard look at the darker side of human desire." ~US Review
“Weis and Astor have created something so dark, edgy, and gritty, it will stay with you long after you close the book.” ~Julieanne Lynch, Dragon Award Finalist: Horror (2018)
“While the authors have written a chilling story here, there's more to Death by the River than thrills. It's actually a fascinating study into the effects of good and bad parenting on children. Do it badly and parents, children and society as a whole pay the consequences. This book is not just an exciting read; it's a sobering one.” ~Viga Boland, Retired high school English teacher and Author of No Tears for my Father: Viga's true story of incest
“Weis and Astor have written a riveting crime tale with strong psychological underpinnings. Death by the River is ingeniously plotted, written in gorgeous prose, and featuring a strong conflict that propels the narrative forward. The suspense intensifies as the story moves on, with the reader always feeling as though something awful could happen at any moment, and this feeling grows in intensity until the explosive climax. A real thriller!” ~Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite

“Death by the River is the kind of skin-crawling, queasy-feeling-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach story that needs to be told and demands to be read. Weis and Astor capture Beau Devereaux’s deplorable misogyny and psychotic tendencies with a delicate grace that makes the story captivating while still coating you in that icky feeling that doesn’t wash off in the shower. Every woman has known a man like Beau Devereaux, and if you haven’t, well it’s probably because you didn’t know you did. [It’s] the type of cautionary tale that keeps you alive by reminding you that sometimes the biggest horrors aren’t the monsters hiding under the bed or the ones that exist somewhere else in the world, but the ones hiding in plain sight. And the best way to beat them? Bring them out in the light and expose them.” ~Seven Jane

“I needed to be in the headspace to absorb the darkest of humanity, and the ways that woman are preyed upon in youth. Those two themes, which feel so of the moment in the age of True Crime and the confrontation of rape culture in the mainstream of our socio-political consciousness, play heavy in the novel, but at the same time, the path of the story follows a path of entertainment that is undeniably in the mold of Teen fiction from the late 1990s. The writing is smart and flowing with hints of Carson McCullers and William Faulkner influences, while still being approachable by upper-range YA readers. The moments when we are given Dark Beau are incredibly painful to read, which only makes the way the story takes on elements of revenge more satisfying … Lines like, “Why was hurting her so much fun?” need a trigger warning, maybe many many trigger warnings, but at the same time, it is a story that goes into depths of character and situation that allow a reader to find the light waiting at the end of the tunnel. There are elements to the story that will be painful to many, and lo to the person who goes into this blind, but if you know, then there is much to discover and it is strong indeed.” ~ Christopher Garcia, Hugo Award Winner

“ … Beau Devereaux steals the show as what I imagine Ted Bundy was like in high school … While Beau serves as the twisted teenage antagonist, there is still sympathy to be had for someone who obviously grew up in an environment more terrifying that the heinous crimes he commits. Weis and Astor have the ability to paint vivid pictures of interesting characters, a backwoods Louisiana setting where secrets lie along the river, and a story line that is not only fun to read, but highly thought-provoking … some of the scenes have an absolutely sinister and disturbing feel … Great book! The authors really GO there!”